I. INTRODUCTION

1. The informal meeting of Observers from International Non-Governmental Organisations
(INGOs) attending the 31st Session of the FAO Conference was convened on Friday
2 November 2001, from 15:00 to 18:00. A list of participants is attached (Appendix).
Following the usual practice, this report has been prepared by the appointed drafting
group and is submitted for the attention of the Conference.

2. The Ad Hoc group of INGO Representatives to FAO residing in Rome (AHG-INGOs)
prepared the meeting in consultation with the FAO and selected the following items for the
agenda:

c) International Code of Conduct in the Distribution and Use of
Pesticides (Item 9 - Doc. C2001/7).

The objective of the meeting was the formulation of INGO recommendations, views and
concerns to be reported to the Conference.

3. The meeting was opened by the designated Chairperson, Dr. Francesca Ronchi Proja,
Permanent Representative of the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE), and
Co-ordinator of the AHG-INGOs. A Co-Chairperson was nominated, in the person of Ms.
Susanne Gura, Representative of the German NGO Forum Environment and Development (GRAIN).
She chaired during the agenda items on the genetic resources and the Code of conduct on
pesticides. A drafting group composed of the following was constituted: Ms Alessia Boschin
(WAGGGS), Mr Pat Mooney, Representative of Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC
Group, formerly RAFI), Mr. Peter Hurst, Representative of the International Union of Food,
Agricultural, Hotel Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF);
"ex officio" members, the Chairpersons.

4. Dr. Francesca Ronchi Proja welcomed the participants, particularly those coming from
abroad. She provided some additional information on the AHG-INGOs' responsibilities for
the organisation of the Informal Meeting and described the Meeting process.

5. Mr. Henry Carsalade, Assistant Director-General Technical Co-operation Department
(TCD), welcomed the participants. He recalled that tha FAO Strategic Framework 2000 - 2015
includes an important chapter on partnerships, and reported on progress in implementing
the "Policy and Strategy for FAO Cooperation with NGOs and other Civil Society
Organizations" published in early 2000. Action has been taken to improve information
sharing, NGO/CSO participation in policy dialogue, cooperation in field programmes and
resource mobilization. FAO's Regional Offices have increased their outreach to civil
society, and the World Food Summit: five years later (WFS:fyl) process has given great
impetus to this work.

6. Ms Kay Killingsworth, Assistant Director-General/Special Adviser to
the Director-General for World Food Summit Follow-up,provided information
regarding the proposed new dates and process for the WFS:fyl as recommended by the 121st
session of the FAO Council. She invited participants to take full advantage of the
Regional Conferences and the Committee on World Food Security in 2002 as avenues for
feeding in NGO/CSO views and experiences.

7. Mr. Antonio Onorati, Representative of the Italian NGO Federations
and International Co-ordinator for the WFS: fyl NGO Forum, gave the latest information
about the organisation of the Forum. He informed that the meeting of the Core Planning
Group would take place on 3 and 4 November 2001 in FAO Headquarters.

8. Ms. Bettina Corke, Representative of the International Alliance of Women (IAW) on
behalf of the AHG, presented the AHG Report on the implementation of the World Food
summit, to indicate the interest and commitment of INGOs. The Report is available to those
interested.

9. The proposed agenda was approved, with a change in the presentation of the agenda
items.

II. INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC
RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

10. This item was introduced by Patrick Mooney of ETC Group. Mr. José
Esquinas-Alcazar, AGD, responded to queries. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) welcome
the Treaty as a significant step in a 20-year process that has yielded potential agreement
on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA).
It is a step forward but, in the process, negotiators put aside many of the founding
principles of the original G77 proposal in order to secure this compromise - a weak Treaty
that poses few challenges to the dominant trade policy environment, technological
developments and intellectual property rights regimes that have contributed to the rapid
erosion of genetic resources for food and agriculture.

11. Agreement on the Treaty would signal the start of a new process of
ratifications by signatories in order to secure a legally-binding international convention
that will contribute to local and global food security and will accelerate implementation
of the Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources Food and Agriculture.

12. CSOs regret that, by making Farmers' Rights subordinate to national
laws, this Treaty will in effect remove rights from farmers. CSOs urge Member Governments
of FAO to resolve to pursue greater international recognition of these fundamental and
inalienable Rights both within FAO and in the UN Human Rights Commission negotiations on
the Right to Food.

13. CSOs set three tests for this Treaty: is it Fair, Equitable and
Comprehensive? It fails all three tests in its present form. It is not Fair:
benefits are scarce, financial resources from OECD countries are not commensurate with the
contribution made by farmers. It is not Equitable: is is ambiguous about ensuring
that all farmers and breeders will have free access to PGRFA, unrestricted by Intellectual
Property Rights (IPRs). It is not Comprehensive: just 35 genera of crops and only
29 forage species are included in the Treaty.

14. Despite these shortcomings, only an international convention of
this type can begin to address the deterioration in the flow of genetic resources and,
therefore, CSOs urge members of FAO that if they agree the Treaty the then, supported by
the Secretariat of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA),
ratify the Treaty in all member countries, as soon as possible.

15. FAO Conference must insist that only the Governing Body, once
formed after the Treaty comes into force, should be mandated to return to the Treaty text
and negotiate the next steps: implementation of Farmers' Rights; improvement of benefit
sharing and financial arrangements; Material Transfer Agreements; extension of the list of
crops and forages; interpretation of the access and Intellectual Property Rights clauses;
and clarification of the integrity and autonomy of the Treaty in relation with other
agreements. The interim arrangements must focus on ratification, not negotiation of
changes to the Treaty.

16. This is an historic Treaty and special recognition and thanks are
due. CSOs would like to congratulate Ambassador Fernando Gerbasi, Chair of the CGRFA, for
his unstinting efforts in securing this agreement. Also, CSOs thank the Secretariat to the
CGRFA for their years of tireless commitment and, most importantly, the unsung heroes of
genetic resource conservation and sustainable use - the farmers who develop, manage and
safeguard these resources for future generations and who have Rights to benefits
commensurate with this contribution to humankind.

III. FAO PLAN OF ACTION ON GENDER AND
DEVELOPMENT, 2002 - 2007

17. The item was introduced by Dr. Giovanna Cavarocchi, Representative of the World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), who presented the comments prepared
by the AHG on the Plan. The following recommendations were proposed so that they be taken
into account in the implementation by the FAO Secretariat and by the FAO Member
Governments.

18. This new Plan of Action represents an important step forward in identifying
initiatives and activities within the FAO Technical Divisions for Gender Mainstreaming,
with special attention to the needs and in support of rural women. It represents a more
tangible commitment for the Secretariat and a clearer guide for FAO Member Governments in
the implementation of programmes and projects directed to both sexes with equal attention.

19. We consider, however, that very little mention is made throughout the text of the
role and involvement of NGOs in the many activities proposed in different fields of food
and agriculture. We recommend that the need for this involvement not be neglected, since
it is emphasised in all Commitments of the WFS Plan of Action, on which FAO's policies and
programmes are based.

20. We wish to emphasise that women, rural women in particular and in
developing countries, are still in inferiority conditions; their civil, legal and
political rights are often not recognised, their right to education is often neglected.
Therefore, they still require priority attention.

21. It is commendable that the Plan aims to increase and improve the participation of
women in all fields of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, in planning, in training
courses, etc. This will of course also increase the workload of women, which is already
heavy especially in rural areas in developing countries. Most of the family
responsibilities - care of children, of sick and elderly, the production, provision,
preparation, processing of food for the family, house cleaning, often carrying water from
far away, etc. - are on women's shoulders.

There is no attention in the Plan to this problem, to the need for sharing these
responsibilities with men and boys. Often, in fact, girls are penalised and obliged to
help at home while only boys are allowed to go to school. Thus, illiteracy is more
frequent among women, increasing their inferiority situation vis-à-vis men. We
think that education of girls and boys should include "education for equal
partnership": they should be taught to recognise their differences and similarities
and to respect each other as individuals.

22. We consider that priority attention should be given to training and education
projects, and that planning should be done taking into account local situations and human
needs. Resources should be used for projects promoted and carried out by women and for
projects aiming at improving their representation in networks and organisations at local,
national and international levels. Promotion of co-operatives of women should be
supported.

23. Whenever paid activities are involved, women are often paid less than men for the
same type of work. This situation should not be allowed to occur.

24. We agree with the statement in para. 48 that full participation and empowerment of
women have not been obtained, even after years of advocacy and efforts. We believe that
more efforts should be concentrated on the aspects and fields mentioned above.

25. We consider that education in nutrition and home economics, which
is included in Commitment 2 of the WFS Plan of Action, is of great importance and should
receive increasing attention.

26. We agree that young women and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to AIDS
epidemic, and wish to emphasise that children and young people are critical in changing
the course of the epidemic, provided they are informed and advised through all possible
means and media of the risks and of ways of protection.

27. In discussing the item, several points of view were put forward:

- The new approach on gender and development was welcomed but
it was also noted that there is the need to join the issue of women and development to
gender and development, and several INGOs stated that they are already doing this.
Specific projects for women still need to be developed. Information split by sex can be
beneficial to policy making.

- Education programmes should be promoted for women to be
better informed about genetic resources and the richness they are contributing to create
and preserve. Rural women are already playing a central role in protecting traditional
plants and local crops.

- In case of conflicts and emergency situations, the political
opinion and will of women should be sought and they should be involved in decision-making.
At least one technical division of FAO should be charged with collection and analysis of
data by sex on the impact of armed conflicts and wars on agricultural and food production.

- Social and economic advancement for rural women should be
promoted within the framework of all national plans, in order to target rural women as
participants and beneficiaries of programmes and projects.

- Attention should be paid to health conditions of women, since
this affects agriculture and food production. Adolescent pregnancy too can be a major
hindrance for girls to take an active role in society, because their health and nutrition
conditions are at risk and they may be discriminated as far as further education is
concerned.

28. All these recommendations should be taken into account by Member Governments when
considering gender issues in their national plans, since this will strengthen the
implementation of the WFS Plan of Action.

29. Mrs. Marie Randriamamonjy, Chief of FAO's Women and Sustainable Development
Service, and her colleagues, pointed out that the Plan of Action represents a basis for
implementation by FAO and Member Governments in their national plans and actions.
Additional detailed information was provided on methodology, process and follow-up of the
Plan.

IV. FAO INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT ON THE
DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF PESTICIDES

30. This item was introduced by Peter Hurst, IUF. Mr. Niek van der
Graaff, AGPP, responded to queries. The voluntary FAO Code on Pesticides has been
extensively revised through a series of expert meetings and wider consultations with
governments and stakeholders which began in 2000.

31. NGOs are requesting delegates to the FAO Conference to support the
adoption of the revised Code when it is discussed on Wednesday afternoon, 7 November 2001.

32. The FAO Code was introduced in 1985 to provide guidance on the
sound management of pesticides for governments, the pesticide industry, farmers, waged
agricultural workers and other stakeholders.

33. The 1985 FAO Code was revised in 1989 to incorporate the PIC
procedure. The signing of the Rotterdam Convention on PIC made this Article of the Code
redundant, and the FAO was asked to initiate a revision, also taking into account its
experience over the last 15 years. FAO called for comments, and held an expert group
meeting in December 1999 to review comments and make recommendations. The draft was
circulated in early 2000, encouraging a widespread email consultation. A second draft was
again circulated for consultation, and submitted to the Committee on Agriculture this
year. COAG noted the revisions and encouraged the process. Final comments were discussed
at a meeting of key stakeholders - governments, industry and NGOs - in early June to
finalise the draft for submission to Council, where it was discussed and endorsed.

34. The Code sets guidelines that, if implemented, would address many
pesticide hazards in developing countries. The Code is, of course, voluntary, but has been
an important element in setting standards and developing national legislation, and will
continue to fulfil this function. We would also like to draw attention to a recommendation
of the expert group meeting of December 1999 for "development of a Strategic
Document on the Implementation of the Code ... procedures for determining non-compliance
... and for treatment of parties found to be in non-compliance" and suggest
that it may be appropriate for Conference to consider making such a recommendation with
the adoption of the Code.

35. The points below are not exhaustive, but draw attention to a number
of the improved requirements.

Article 1. Objectives

36. Addresses itself not only to international organizations, governments and the
pesticide industry, but also to the food industry and others who could play an important
role in encouraging more sustainable agriculture.

37. Adopts the "life-cycle" concept to address all major
aspects related pesticides.

Article 2. Terms and definitions

38. Throughout the text, the Code no longer refers to `safe use', but
`less hazardous';

39. Incorporates a new definition of Integrated Pest Management (IPM),
emphasising need to grow of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption of
agro-ecosystems, and encourage natural pest control mechanisms.

Article 3. Pesticide management

40. Calls for a concerted effort by governments to develop and promote
IPM based on scientific and other strategies that include increased participation of
farmers (including women's groups), extension agents and on-farm researchers;

protect biodiversity and minimize adverse effects of pesticides on the environment
(water, soil and air) and on non-target organisms.

Article 6. Regulatory and technical requirements

45. Asks governments to collect data on import, manufacture,
formulation, quality and quantity of pesticides, and industry is required to provide it.

Article 7. Availability and use

46. Explicitly requests a prohibition on import, sale and purchase of
highly toxic and hazardous products, such as WHO classes 1a and 1b where control measures
are insufficient to ensure the product can be handled with acceptable risk to the user.

Article 8. Distribution and Trade

47. Calls on governments to implement licensing procedures relating to
the sale of pesticides, to ensure those involved are capable of providing buyers with
advice on risk reduction and efficient use, and calls on industry to ensure sellers hold
appropriate licenses.

48. Calls on governments to ensure that any pesticide subsidies or
donations should not lead to excessive or unjustified use, and that producers of
pesticides establish purchasing procedures to prevent the oversupply of pesticides.

Article 9. Information exchange

49. Encourages the need for public access to information, as well as
encouraging governments to support each other through regional and sub-regional networks.

Article 10. Labelling, packaging, storage and disposal

50. Explicitly calls on industry to help dispose of obsolete stocks of
pesticides, and to assist in disposing of banned and obsolete pesticides that are still in
use.

Article 11. Advertising

51. Adds to the injunction against promoting safety claims in
advertising (e.g. `safe', `non-poisonous', `harmless', `non-toxic') the need to avoid
promoting pesticides as being `compatible with IPM', with or without a qualifying phrase
such as `when used as directed'.

Article 12. Monitoring and observance of the Code

52. Indicates that the "Code should be brought to the attention of
all concerned in the regulation, manufacture, distribution and use of pesticides, so that
governments, individually or in regional groupings, pesticide industry, international
institutions, pesticide user organizations, agricultural commodity industries and food
industry groups (such as supermarkets) that are in a position to influence good
agricultural practices, understand their shared responsibilities in working together to
ensure that the objectives of the Code are achieved."

53. One of the main weaknesses of earlier versions of the Code has been
the lack of proper monitoring and observance. In adopting and promoting the revised Code,
the FAO and governments are urged to address the question of how to strengthen the role of
NGOs in monitoring and observance.

V. CONCLUSION

54. The Chairperson closed the meeting thanking the participants and
the FAO representatives for their contributions.